Discover Penig: Churches, Pottery History and Mulde Paths

Penig combines a distinctive town skyline with stories of crafts and everyday life. Narrow lanes lead from the elevated town church to the lower-lying streets; paths along the Zwickauer Mulde and through Köbe Nature Park provide a green contrast.

Churches, Lanes and Town Hall

The town church “Unser Lieben Frauen Auf Dem Berge” is a notable Late Gothic building dating from 1476 to 1515; its tower was built in 1476. Inside is a coffered ceiling created by Constantin Saytz in 1688, featuring 70 biblical scenes. St Aegidien is also part of Penig’s churchscape: the church is Romanesque, and the collegiate service is celebrated there every year on the first Sunday after Trinity Sunday.

The town hall was built in 1545/46 in the Saxon Early Renaissance style. Its richly decorated, three-part portal is made of Rochlitz porphyry. The Salt Road, which crossed the Mulde, is also part of the town’s early history: this crossing helped Penig gain importance as a market town in the Middle Ages.

Pottery and the Cellar Caves

Around 1500, twelve potters lived in Penig and paid the Töpperzins pottery tax. Because the pottery kilns posed a fire hazard, the suburb of Topfanger developed outside the Chemnitz Gate. Alongside this craft history is a local legend: “The Great Pot of Penig” tells of a huge pot said to have been made by Penig potters under Master Hans Weider.

Another discovery takes you underground. The Penig Cellar Caves were begun in 1511 by brothers Wolff and Peter Rodten. Their passage system extends for around two kilometres across three levels and is open to visitors. Check local access and visiting arrangements before your visit.

Paths along the Mulde and Köbe Nature Park

Penig has walking trails along the Zwickauer Mulde and between its districts. A map extract showing paths and roads around the town helps visitors and walkers find their way; check its availability before planning your trip. One specific route runs along the left bank of the Mulde between Penig and Amerika. After entering the deciduous forest, the path passes the Weiße Spitze. The more than two-metre-high obelisk, made of red Rochlitz porphyry, was erected in 1838 and commemorates battles for the crossings over the Mulde.

Köbe Nature Park has a different character: this roughly twelve-hectare wooded area contains a pond, an adventure playground and animal enclosures. A walking trail and a place to rest round out the amenities. As some facilities may change, it is advisable to check their current status before visiting.

The wider region: Central Saxony

The wider travel region of Central Saxony offers more than Penig’s history and walking trails. Rochlitzer Berg, at 353 metres high, is a remnant of volcanic activity; its red porphyry tuff is considered unique in Germany and Europe. Rochsburg Castle has housed a museum since 1911. Its “People Make Clothes” exhibition features 52 costumes spanning 1,000 years of European fashion history. Porphyrland Geopark also invites visitors to hike and cycle in Central Saxony.

Discover more destinations

Leubsdorf, Reinsberg, Hartha, Oberschöna, Hilbersdorf, Erlau, Freiberg, Hainichen

Back to the overview of the wider travel region: Central Saxony.